Ultimate Management

[Freese]

I see many people in quick play, both teammates and opponents, use ill-timed ultimates to kill a single player. Ultimately (no pun intended), I believe, in a majority of cases, using solo ultimates to kill one player is ineffective. For instance, I was playing Mercy yesterday and a Roadhogg was trying desperately to kill me as I was flying away. He wanted to kill me so badly that he popped his ultimate while I just flew away to a distant Pharah. After his ultimate finished, we pushed the payload and got it to the next point.

Ultimate usage largely depends on the character and the situation, so there's not one rule that will tell you how to use an ultimate ability. However, I think there are some guidelines to consider when determining whether or not to use your ultimate ability:

1. Uses ultimates in conjunction with one another. Ultimates are far more damaging and strategic when used in conjunction with other ultimates. For instance, Mei's ultimate works great with D.va's. A Zarya/Phara combo is absolutely devastating, too. There are ostensibly hundreds of ultimate combos to talk about here, but the point is that ultimates become much more effective when you use them in conjunction with one another.

2. Use ultimates to counter other ultimate abilities. Reinhardt is my favorite character. As I have increased my skill with Reinhardt, I find myself using his ultimate to completely shut down another enemy team's coordinated ultimate efforts. For instance, on Nepal last night, the enemy team used High Noon and Mei's freeze ultimate at the same time to try to wipe our team at the capture point. I immediately hit Q, interrupted High Noon and stunned their entire team, charged out of Mei's freeze, and killed 4 of their players. If you suspect an enemy team might push with their ultimate abilities soon, save yours rather than killing one stray player with your ultimate.

3. Save healing ultimates to counter other ultimates. Granted, I am not a good healer by any means, but my team and I have started using Lucio's and Zenyatta's ults to counter enemy ultimate pushes and this strategy seems to work well in many cases.

4. Put your ego aside, as well as your obsession with medals, K/D ratio, etc. Before you use your ultimate ability, ask yourself: will this ultimate best help my team at this current moment? If not, save it. In organized play, this game basically comes down to which team manages their ultimate abilities the best.

[Rivellana]

I'm the one hitting my button when my ultimate is ready to tell my teammates that it's ready. I usually get a response back in the form of one or more of them pressing their button as well.

Something so small makes such a big difference. I 100% agree with you.

[Jessicka]

I'm the one hitting my button when my ultimate is ready to tell my teammates that it's ready. I usually get a response back in the form of one or more of them pressing their button as well.

Something so small makes such a big difference. I 100% agree with you.

Depends on character, I use it on WM just about on CD since someone is always going to benefit. I also feel that waiting for more players to die on Mercy is probably counterproductive. D.Va or Winston or Pharah on the other hand, D.Va especially I let everyone know what's about to happen.

Those quick emotes are super useful for pub games, they cover about half the communications you're using in a pre made.

[Rivellana]

Depends on character, I use it on WM just about on CD since someone is always going to benefit. I also feel that waiting for more players to die on Mercy is probably counterproductive. D.Va or Winston or Pharah on the other hand, D.Va especially I let everyone know what's about to happen.

Those quick emotes are super useful for pub games, they cover about half the communications you're using in a pre made.

Yeah I don't bother with Symmetra, I just go place it, but I play a lot of D.Va and Zarya where it's important my team knows it's push time or ult time.

[Drakpower]

As Mercy, I don't feel bad rezzing one person since I get my ultimate so quickly. It always depends though. I would never resurrect one person if I thought another one or more were about to go down. I'm also much more conservative with my ultimate near the end of a close match.

[Ujio]

I hope people start using microphones in ranked mode for this reason.

[Jessicka]

I hope people start using microphones in ranked mode for this reason.

They probably will, but I think if you want to get anywhere, you're probably going to have to go full pre-made.

[Alopex]

When I'm playing Tracer, yes, I'm using my ult to try to assassinate one target: the enemy support

[Freese]

When I'm playing Tracer, yes, I'm using my ult to try to assassinate one target: the enemy support

This isn't a bad strategy or anything; however, I see Tracers in public games go in alone and try to do this without any support and it usually doesn't end up well for them.

[xerus]

Yeah I don't bother with Symmetra, I just go place it, but I play a lot of D.Va and Zarya where it's important my team knows it's push time or ult time.

Same.

If I'm grouped I'll mention on voice when its active or used up or close to gone if we are in the middle of an engagement.

Really the only one I routinely use the button to announce its ready is Zarya since she can combo with almost everyone.

[Jotaux]

I use my ultimate to get one kill so that person knows how badly I want them dead.

[Adam Jensen]

As Pharah, don't bother jumping in air full view of the enemy team and using your ultimate. You'll just die and waste it. Instead, find a chance to ambush them. My best rocket barrage uses were me on the ground waiting for the payload to round a corner or come into view from behind an obstacle.

[Tharkkun]

As Mei I try to burn it as soon as I see 3+ people clumped. When I play with friends they almost always follow up with their own.

[Synbaby]

When I'm playing Tracer, yes, I'm using my ult to try to assassinate one target: the enemy support

A good team will keep their support covered. I've seen matches where a support will never die because the rest of the team is defending the support

[Deleted]

Depends on the situation. Using an ultimate to kill a Mercy before she flies in to ress her team can potentially be the biggest real play of the game. As a Reinhardt, I often ult single people being a fecking nuisance even if I know it isn't efficient. Mei constantly dancing in and out of my shield trying to freeze me for example pisses me off to know end that I just snap and pull up the finger to that Mei player.

Often, I'll also use an ultimate to counter someone elses ultimate. Using a McCree ult vs a Genji for example can be more effective than a sound barrier from Lucio.

[Hottage]

4. Put your ego aside, as well as your obsession with medals, K/D ratio, etc. Before you use your ultimate ability, ask yourself: will this ultimate best help my team at this current moment? If not, save it. In organized play, this game basically comes down to which team manages their ultimate abilities the best.

This should have been point #1, because it's the one I see people losing games with the most.

I've watched people deliberately stay off the point during overtime because they didn't want to die and affect their K/D ratio, instead of them resetting the overtime to give other team mates time to get back...

I'm the one hitting my button when my ultimate is ready to tell my teammates that it's ready. I usually get a response back in the form of one or more of them pressing their button as well.

Something so small makes such a big difference. I 100% agree with you.

The comms wheel really does help in random games without voice chat.

As Mercy I've single ressed people who were critical (Bastion or Reinhart on the payload, or someone who died on the objective during overtime) but generally I save it until I hear "RYUU WAKA TIKA GO FUCK YOURSELF" or "DEATH RAINS FROM ABOVE", hide and then pick up the ones who died).

[monkmastaeq]

I think hanzo can use his ult solo to kill that nasty bastion in a place you cant reach him very safely

[Naxere]

I use my ultimate to get one kill so that person knows how badly I want them dead.

Guilty of doing this sometimes.

[Adam Jensen]

Guilty of doing this sometimes.

Yeah . . . it's wrong and unhelpful for the team, but unleashing rocket barrage on that annoying Reaper is so satisfying.

[Jessicka]

Yeah . . . it's wrong and unhelpful for the team, but unleashing rocket barrage on that annoying Reaper is so satisfying.

Just know that they're smiling as you do it